Growth measuring device



June 23, 1964 M, MECHANECK 3,137,943

GROWTH MEASURING DEVICE Filed sept. 1, 1961 United States Patent 'Ofi ice 3,137,943 A -Patented June 23, 1964 3,137,943 GROWTH MEASURIN G DEVICE Mary Mechaneck, 705 Dunne Court, Brooklyn 35, N.Y. Filed Sept. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 135,643 2 Claims. (Cl. 33-2) This invention relates to a device for obtaining height of human beings along with shoe sizes.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for conveniently obtaining a permanent record of the height of a person and for obtaining the shoe size of a person, more particularly of a growing child.

It is another object to provide an inexpensive device so that it may be had in every household.

It is another object to provide a sturdy pedestal for a growth measuring device preferably of plastic.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following descriptive disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the device, broken away in part to show the pedestal construction,

FIG. 2 is a top view of the device,

FIG. 3 is a detail view of a moveable indicator disposed inthe pedestal to obtain foot sizes, and

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the manner of securing the telescopic height indicator.

Turning to the drawing, the growth device of this invention comprises a base or pedestal and a vertically disposed height or growth recording device 11 secured threadingly into said pedestal at the rear end thereof.

The pedestal is preferably molded and preferably made of plastic material and re-enforced plastic material containing for example, glass tibers or asbestos tibers for interlocking strength.

The pedestal 10 is preferably of rectangular box-like configuration and provided with a depending wall 12 about its periphery. The interior of the pedestal is provided with at least one interior wall 13 disposed between each pair of opposed parallel disposed end walls 12.

Interior Walls 13 are rib-like walls. They are of the same height as the periphery Wall 12 consisting of its four components. The interior walls 13 preferably are integral with one another and cross at right angles at the center of the rectangular box pedestal.

The box pedestal 10 with its interior walls 13 are of unitary molded construction. In lieu of plastic material powdered metal may be used in making the pedestal 10.

The interior walls 13 being load bearing walls are thicker than the periphery Wall 12. The rear end of the thick inner Wall 13 adjacent the rear end of the pedestal (FIGS. 1 and 2) is provided with a threaded aperture or cavity 14 adapted to receive a thread rod 15.

Preferably a threaded washer 16 is threaded onto the threaded end of rod and then the rod 15 is threaded into the threaded aperture 14 to give a rm upright support.

As shown in FIG. l, rod 15 is provided at its top with a rod 17 the top half of Which is tubular and the bottom end of which is provided with a conventional threaded lug adapted to be screw threaded into a co-acting screw threaded cavity disposed in the top end of rod 15.

As shown in FIG. 4, rod 17 is provided with a suitably disposed threaded aperture and a conventional linger operated threaded rod 18 is disposed in the aperture. A

conventional height indicating rod 19 is provided, said rod 19 consisting of a horizontally disposed head rod 20 integral with a calibrated cylindrical rod 21. Rod 21 is so calibrated as to take into account the bottom of rod 20 relative to the platform surface of the pedestal 10, the point from which the height readings are made.

A recording plate 22, preferably of white cardboard, is disposed in a horizontally disposed channel of a card holder 23. The card holder 23 is provided with an aperture through which rod 17 is passed and a finger operated threaded rod 24 is threadingly disposed in the aperture of the holder 23.

In this manner the card holder 23 is moveably secured on rod 17 with the cardboard 22 disposed to the rear of rod 21.

As shown in FIG. l, the head rod 20 is provided with an extension 20X to facilitate pencil marking of the cardboard 22 so that a growth table or chart of the height and date of said height may be permanently recorded. Thus a growth chart of a growing child may be made as a permanent family record, copies of which may be made and sent to relatives.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pedestal 10 is provided with a top wall or platform 25 to which is integrally molded a suitably located heel rest or abutment 26. A pair of sole abutments 26X are also molded integrally to the platform 25, at suitable positions thereon. The platform 25 is further provided with a pair of suitably located molded or cut slots for each foot. One edge of each slot is provided with a suitable scale for reading the length or Width of the respective foot as the case may be.

An integral planar indicator plate 27 (FIG. 3) is provided slideably in each slot, said plate having a flat portion 27X and a beveled or knife edge 28 and a narrow bridge portion 29 and a bottom locking portion 30. Plate portion 30 is dropped into a slot and then turned at right angles so that the top portion 27X rests on the platform 25. In the operation of this device the person steps on it with the shoes contacting the respective abutment 26X.

Then the respective pairs of indicators 27 for each foot are slid to engage the respective shoes. Next the erectly standing person is engaged by moving rod 20 downwardly to engage the head (FIG. 1) and a pencil is disposed under rod 20 so that its point engages cardboard 22, upon which a pencil mark is made and the date added adjacent thereto.

Preferably the entire device with the exception of the wing rods 18 and 24 are made of suitable plastic. The device is suitably disconnected to be packaged in a box of about the size of the pedestal 10.

This invention has been illustrated by a single embodiment but other and equivalent embodiments thereof fall within the scope of the claims herein.

I claim:

1. A growth indicating device comprising, a unitary pedestal having relatively thick interior cross walls at right angles to one another and having a top platform having integral heel and sole abutments, said platform having a plurality of suitably disposed calibrated slots for obtaining the length and width of feet and shoes, a planar indicator disposed slideably in each slot at a right angle thereto and a height indicating means removeably secured to said pedestal, said height indicating means comprising a pair of co-acting threaded rods the top rod of which is cavitated, calibrated rod means having a horizontally disposed extending head engaging rod and a depending calibrated rod adapted to be slidingly disposed in the cavitated rod, and slide means having an aperture therein disposed on said top cavitated rod, said slide means having a horizontal channel therein for retaining a cardboard whereby the height of a person standing on said pedestal may be scribed onto said cardboard using the head rod as a line of reference.

2. The device ofclaim 1l wherein the pedestal is provided with a threaded aperture at the rear endl of the 4 support wall adjacent thereto, and wherein the bottom rod of said pair of co-acting rods is threaded to engage the threaded aperture in said support Wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 865,350 Berenberg Sept. 10, 1907 2,295,447 Bierman Sept. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 53,597 Austria Jan. 15, 1912 675,048 France Oct. 28, 1929 

1. A GROWTH INDICATING DEVICE COMPRISING, A UNITARY PEDESTAL HAVING RELATIVELY THICK INTERIOR CROSS WALLS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO ONE ANOTHER AND HAVING A TOP PLATFORM HAVING INTEGRAL HEEL AND SOLE ABUTMENTS, SAID PLATFORM HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUITABLY DISPOSED CALIBRATED SLOTS FOR OBTAINING THE LENGTH AND WIDTH OF FEET AND SHOES, A PLANAR INDICATOR DISPOSED SLIDEABLY IN EACH SLOT AT A RIGHT ANGLE THERETO AND A HEIGHT INDICATING MEANS REMOVEABLY SECURED TO SAID PEDESTAL, SAID HEIGHT INDICATING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF CO-ACTING THREADED RODS THE TOP ROD OF WHICH IS CAVITATED, CALIBRATED ROD MEANS HAVING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED EXTENDING HEAD ENGAGING ROD AND A DEPENDING CALIBRATED ROD ADAPTED TO BE SLIDINGLY DISPOSED IN THE CAVITATED ROD, AND SLIDE MEANS HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN DISPOSED ON SAID TOP CAVITATED ROD, SAID SLIDE MEANS HAVING A HORIZONTAL CHANNEL THEREIN FOR RETAINING A CARDBOARD WHEREBY THE HEIGHT OF A PERSON STANDING ON SAID PEDESTAL MAY BE SCRIBED ONTO SAID CARDBOARD USING THE HEAD ROD AS A LINE OF REFERENCE. 